1

I

那不是老人的国度。青年

That is no country for old men. The young

在彼此臂弯中，鸟在树上

In one another’s arms, birds in the trees —

——那些垂死的世代——在歌唱，

Those dying generations — at their song,

鲑鱼的瀑布，鲭鱼云集的海，

The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,

鱼、兽和禽鸟，终夏都在赞扬

Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long

任何受孕、出生与死亡。

Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.

沉溺于感官的音乐而个个

Caught in that sensual music all neglect

疏忽了不朽智慧的丰碑。

Monuments of unageing intellect.

II

2

An aged man is but a paltry thing,

一个老者不过是一件废物，

A tattered coat upon a stick, unless

一件破衣烂衫支在杆上，

Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing

除非灵魂拍手歌唱，更大声唱

For every tatter in its mortal dress,

为了它尘世衣衫的每片破布，

Nor is there singing school but studying

但这没有歌唱学校，有的是

Monuments of its own magnificence;

研究它自己壮丽丰碑的地方；

And therefore I have sailed the seas and come

于是我便航过海洋来到

To the holy city of Byzantium.

拜占庭这神圣的城邦。

III

3

O sages standing in God’s holy fire

As in the gold mosaic of a wall，

哦，立于神之圣火中的智者们

Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,

如在一面墙上鎏金的镶嵌画，

And be the singing-masters of my soul.

从圣火中出来吧，在环流中飞旋

Consume my heart away; sick with desire

成为我灵魂的众歌唱导师。

And fastened to a dying animal

毁灭我的心吧；它思欲成病

It knows not what it is; and gather me

且被绑在这具将死的动物身上

Into the artifice of eternity.

不认得它自己；再聚敛我

进入永恒之技艺。

IV

Once out of nature I shall never take

4

My bodily form from any natural thing,

But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make

一旦脱越自然，我将决不择取

Of hammered gold and gold enamelling

任何自然事物做我的身形，

To keep a drowsy Emperor awake;

却要的是像希腊金匠打造的

Or set upon a golden bough to sing

那锻金与釉金的造型

To lords and ladies of Byzantium

来使昏沉的皇帝保持清醒；

Of what is past, or passing, or to come.

或跳到金枝上歌唱给

拜占庭的贵族与淑女们

关于已逝、正流逝的和将来的事情。